


25 Years

by Prank (NekoPrankster218)



Series: Popular Fanfiction Tropes the Series (based on the ColeyDoesThings videos) [2]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Interspecies Relationship(s), M/M, Soulmates, age of your soulmate is on your wrist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:54:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22453003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoPrankster218/pseuds/Prank
Summary: The doctor stared at the tiny digits the baby boy was born with. It’s not like he hadn’t seen age differences before. But what this implied…
Relationships: John-117 | Master Chief & Thel 'Vadam | The Arbiter, John-117 | Master Chief/Thel 'Vadam | The Arbiter
Series: Popular Fanfiction Tropes the Series (based on the ColeyDoesThings videos) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1614532
Comments: 9
Kudos: 192





	25 Years

**March 7th, 2511**

The doctor stared at the tiny digits the baby boy was born with. It’s not like he hadn’t seen age differences before. But what this implied…

“The parents might not react too well to this…” he said to the nurse, a woman nearly a decade older than himself.

“Well, they’re going to find out the minute they see him. There’s no hiding this…”

“25 years old...his soulmate is already 25 years old...that means by the time  _ he’s _ 25 years old, they’ll be 50!”

“As long as they’re consenting adults…”

“God, what must be going through the other one’s head right now? Having become a full adult without any sign, and suddenly a 0 appears on their wrist?”

“You know soulmates aren’t always romantic, right?”

The doctor sighed and shook his head. “Yeah...that’s what it must mean. The rare ‘best friend’ type. Hopefully that’ll ease his parents…”

Still, having to be there when they saw the mark made him feel nervous. He turned to face the nurse.

“Hey, maybe you should be-”

However, she had already gone away.

“...fine, let’s just get this over with.”

* * *

**September 2517**

Catherine Halsey looked curiously at the young boy’s wrist. Many of the candidates chosen for her little project already had soulmate marks. It made her worry. Should they ever meet their soulmates, their priorities might change. She would have to wring out the heavy soulmate culture from their heads.

But this one…

“A 31?”

John-117 nodded. “I usually have to have it hidden, though…” He shrugged. “I don’t see what the problem is with having an older best friend, though.”

And now she raised an eyebrow. “‘Best friend?’” People didn’t always go steady with their soulmates, but society typically viewed them as romantic. Most felt pressured in childhood to save their heart for that one person.

“Yeah. Mom told me that when I grow older, I’m gonna meet my one true best friend.”

“I see…” Of course his parents would give him different values. Having to look at their baby and know some adult was his so-called perfect match would make them uncomfortable.

So maybe whisking John away and leaving them with a short-lived clone would make them feel better in the end.

* * *

**December 10th, 2552**

He watched the standard time clock reach midnight. And then his eyes looked down at his wrist. The number disappeared. But, of course, it was soon replaced by the next one up. From 66 to 67.

Somewhere out there, John’s soulmate was alive. Lucky him. So many people’s wrists were freezing their numbers now, signaling their soulmate had died. Most likely one of the billions of casualties in this war.

John pretty much accepted he would never meet his “best friend”. He had accepted it and moved on, focusing on protecting the whole of humanity. Of course that meant he’d be protecting whoever was his perfect match; and while there was always some relief every Dec. 10th, he was content with never knowing.

“Wish me luck for tomorrow…”

* * *

**December 11th, 2552**

“John...it’s inappropriate for me to ask now, but I’m curious…”

John looked up at Cortana’s hologram, currently standing on the dashboard of the Pelican.

“Did it happen again yesterday?”

He gave a silent nod. Cortana had always taken an interest in his soulmate mark. He honestly was surprised  _ she _ wasn’t his soulmate...if it could have even been possible in the first place.

His hand brushed against that very wrist. Now that they were so close to the end...he was starting to get sentimental. Maybe Halsey hadn’t done a good enough job in convincing him it was all overrated…

Halsey never answered him about her own soulmate. He’d have to save that question for when it was his own time to pass on. She’d definitely be pissed at him if he died today.

“I almost forgot you humans shared the same custom.”

John's thoughts were interrupted by that baritone voice. Had the Arbiter really been listening in? Well, then again, of course he’d be able to hear. He was the only other person around, and Elites had better hearing than humans.

Though it surprised him the Arbiter figured out what Cortana was asking. Had he been watching his movements, too?

“That custom would be…?” John asked, starting off by playing dumb. He never liked discussing this kind of thing. No amount of sentimentality was going to change that.

“The age markings. Of your destined mate.”

Of course an Elite would put it that way. John couldn’t help the blush, though. Thank god for Spartan helmets.

“We’re capable of just staying friends with our ‘destined mates’, you know…” John paused. “So the rumor about all the other races is true, too?”

The Arbiter nodded. “A tradition that transcends species. The Prophets always said it was the Gods’ will that we would receive our marks.” He faltered. “Though, now with what has happened…”

“No one knows where they came from, or why they do. To be honest, humanity doesn’t entirely care about answering those questions. Some people even ignore soulmate business altogether…”

“Soulmate…” the Arbiter tested the foreign word for himself. “A much better title...I might just use that from now on.”

John shrugged. “Go ahead.”

The Pelican went silent. John was sure the conversation died, only for the Arbiter to will it back to life.

“It’s amusing…” he mused. “We share the same day of birth.”

John tilted his head. “We do?”

“Oh, excuse me...not yourself and I. Your soulmate and I.”

“Oh.”

_ Oh. _

“Oho?” Cortana asked. John nearly forgot she was there, having been so used to her being missing. “You were born on December 10th?”

“That was yesterday, was it not? Or am I mistaken?”

“Let me double check my calendar…ah, yes, it was. It’s the 11th now. What a crazy day it’s been, hm?”

The Arbiter chuckled. “Yes it has...in a way, I’m considering counting today as the celebration.”

“The end of the war, an assassination - if I understood the briefing correctly - and now the preparation of an Ark-shattering ka-boom? This birthday party of yours will go down in history.”

“Happy birthday.” John muttered.

“And what of you?” the Arbiter asked.

John looked at him, his eyes furrowing behind his visor. “My birthday?”

“Your soulmate.”

John stopped. “I...still haven’t met them. Doubt I ever will. And I’m... _ okay _ with that.”

The Arbiter hummed in response. “I feel the same...I had gone through my youth under the impression I would be alone for the rest of my life; I’ve since become numb to the custom.”

“Your  _ whole _ youth?”

“It was...a very late showing for me. And despite the efforts of my family, we were never able to track down anyone who had the matching mark.”

“And what is it for you?” John immediately regretted asking. Why was he prying into the Arbiter’s personal life? Especially regarding that kind of sensitive subject?

“Currently? A 43. My junior by 25 years.”

_ You have got to be kidding me. _

“25, you say?” Cortana asked, a smile already forming. “Wait, then that would make you…”

“67 as of yesterday. Still young for someone with my line of achievements…”

“I never would have guessed. A human of that age would kill for your physical prowess…” She gave a gasp that John was sure was insincere. “Oh, wait, where are my manners? I didn’t even introduce myself yet…”

“Ah, as did I…”

“Oh, there’s no need. I was actually there when the Gravemind first talked to us all, back on Delta Halo.” She turned to Chief, hands going to her hips. “Besides, it’s  _ his _ job to introduce me to every new ‘best friend’ of his.”

She knew it, too. That this couldn’t be a coincidence...that John and the Arbiter had to be…

“I’m Cortana. Feel free to call me whatever makes you comfortable, though. I’m just happy Chief has someone to look after him when I’m not around.”

And once again, thank god for Spartan helmets, because oh how the blood was rushing to his face.

The Arbiter himself just purred. He could  _ purr _ ?!

“Of course. The Spartan is one of my greatest allies...perhaps  _ the _ greatest. I will see him return to your homeworld, rest assured.”

“Cortana’s just being…” John found himself speaking up, although he decided to change up whatever he was about to impulsively say. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

The Arbiter looked confused at him, and even a little disappointed. Did it come out wrong? He didn’t mean to insult the guy, just to backtrack whatever Cortana just started here.

Cortana herself looked even more crushed than the Arbiter did. She looked down with a sigh, before making the announcement.

“We’re able to land...er, crash technically. We’re going to crash.”

The two occupants steeled themselves for the rough landing. John decided to quickly make things right before they would have to re-assume professional attitudes.

So he placed a hand on the Arbiter’s forearm. “I don’t know about the rest of your life...but you’re not going to be alone today.”

The Arbiter looked at him in surprise, making John feel he had screwed up even more, only for the alien to make an expression he had never seen his kind make before.

“Thank you.”

The Pelican “landed”, and the two hopped out to start the mission.

_ “So, saving the reveal for after the party?” _

“Saving it?” John replied lowly, for only Cortana to hear. “I’m taking it to my grave.”

_ “We’ll see…” _

* * *

**October 28th, 2558**

“It took you long enough.”

John approached Halsey, tuning out whatever Palmer was saying to the others.

“ _ That _ we can agree on…”

The Arbiter’s baritone voice was a lot closer than John expected, and he looked up to find the Sangheili warrior towering over him.

He started recalling what Osiris had told him and the rest of Blue Team on the way here. About everything that had happened on the way to rescuing them. How Halsey had been staying in the Arbiter’s camp.

John turned back to look at her, and her eyes glinted in the same way Cortana’s had nearly six years ago.

“I’m sorry…” she said sarcastically. “I wasn’t aware it was apparently such a big secret.”

He could feel the eyes of the others on them. But the Arbiter’s cut through him the most.

_ He knew. _

“I believe there is much to discuss now, friends,” the Arbiter said at least. He gave John a long look. “ _ Much _ to discuss.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I did all the math and timeline research to make this accurate. Although now I'm starting to think I misremembered Cortana being a hologram during that one cutscene between "Cortana" and "Halo" in Halo 3...oof.
> 
> I honestly meant to finish a completely different oneshot first, but this one ended up getting done today. I swear I'm not doing all the Soulmate AUs first on purpose, they're just among the ones I immediately got ideas for.


End file.
